


Fledgling

by distractionpie



Series: DBH Rarepairs Week 2019 [2]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Age Difference, Alive Cole Anderson, Awkward Crush, Family, First Crush, Gen, M/M, One-Sided Attraction, Parent-Child Relationship, Teen Crush
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-01
Updated: 2019-02-01
Packaged: 2019-10-20 08:17:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17618783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/distractionpie/pseuds/distractionpie
Summary: Cole is growing up, it's not always an easy process, but Hank's always gonna be there for him.Written for Day 5/6 of DBH rare pairs week - Future/Secret Crush.





	Fledgling

Later, Hank will feel just a little bit guilty that the first he knows of it is when Connor comes to him, concerned.

“Is everything okay for Cole at the moment?” he asks. “He hasn't run into any difficulties at school or with friends?”

“No,” Hank answers, automatic and confident, then pauses, considers the fact Connor is unlikely to be asking such a thing unprompted, and says, “At least, I don't think so. He hasn't said anything and he seems okay to me.”

Unexpectedly, Connor looks disappointed by Hank's assurances, and it presses Hank to ask, “Why? Have you noticed something wrong?”

“I... Nothing serious,” Connor reassures him, but his L.E.D spins a faltering yellow so Hank waits and after a few moments Connor adds, “He seems to have withdrawn from me lately. He has been avoidant when I visit your home and over the last month his communication with me has reduced to less than 20% of his previous rate.”

Hank frowns. He hadn't noticed Cole avoiding Connor but Connor often observed subtleties of human behaviour that Hank didn't notice or registered only on an instinctual level. And the drop in communication seems plausible. Cole has always enjoyed collecting things to share with Connor –bad jokes and memes that make Hank feel ancient and long for the simpler days of updog and lolcats, plus a steady stream of cute animal pictures– but lately Hank can't think of any instances of Cole demanding they stop and take a picture of something for Connor and he's been far less attached to his phone. “Huh.”

“If all else is as usual then I will need to further examine my own behaviour and identify what might have instigated this–”

“Woah! Cole's thirteen,” Hank interjects. Connor thinking himself in knots trying to find a logical explanation is unlikely to benefit anyone. “That's the age human moods start swinging like Babe Ruth at the World Series. Guess that's pretty weird for you without a point of reference, but give it a few weeks and things will probably go right back to normal. At least until the next wave of hormones hits.”

Connor looks less than convinced. Hank isn't worried, he's spent the months since Cole's birthday bracing himself for the first fit of teenage drama though he’d expected door slamming and tantrums aimed at him, and he's sure everything will be fine.

Still, when Connor comes around to watch the game on Saturday night, Hank keeps a closer eye on his son than usual.

And Cole _is_ acting oddly. He doesn't come rushing out of his room at the sound of the door, Hank has to shout him twice and he nearly misses the start of the game.

If that wasn't weird enough, Cole takes the armchair, even though the view is much worse than if he'd gone for the empty spot beside Connor on the couch.

He’s not unfriendly exactly, when Hank mentions some files he’s got for Connor to look at Cole is quick to offer to fetch them and spare Connor getting up, and when addressed directly he always answers Connor, but he seems nervous and uncomfortable the whole time, flustered whenever he’s in Connor’s space.

And that's when Hank realises he recognises this behaviour.

Cole's inherited Hank’s fair complexion and, without the permanent ruddiness of thirty years of drinking, his blushes are obvious.

No wonder Connor is so lost trying to work out what’s going on, puberty is confusing enough for those who’ve been through it and even Hank, who'd had first-hand experience of that kind of thing, hadn't recognised it until he'd known to look.

Cole has his first crush.

On Connor.

Well shit.

There’s no good way to deal with this, Hank remembers the time he’d sat Cole down for a ‘your body is going to start changing talk’ and he’s pretty sure this isn’t going to be any better in terms of him feeling awkward and Cole being mortified but, when its affecting Cole’s behaviour so much and Connor is worried about having caused offence, Hank can hardly let the situation go unacknowledged.

He waits till Connor leaves, having a quiet word with him in the kitchen to admit that he sees what Connor meant about Cole acting oddly but not offering up his theory because if he’s correct then that’s Cole’s private business and honestly Connor knowing would be more awkward for all of them.

By the time Connor has left, Cole has retreated back to his room, so Hank uncaps a third beer --more than he’d usually indulge in on a work night but man, this feels like a beer conversation-- and knocks on Cole’s door.

He only has to wait a moment before Cole calls out that he can come in.

Hank pushes the door open softly. Cole is laying on the bed, a school book in his hands although Hank would bet any number of things that wasn’t what he’d been doing until Hank had knocked on the door.

“So, you’ve been acting pretty weird around Connor lately,” Hank says, “Wanna tell me what’s up with that?”

In response, Cole flops down on the bed, pulling his pillow of his head. “Why did you have to be a detective?” he grumbles, barely comprehensible through the fabric. “Couldn’t I have had, like, a janitor for a dad?”

Well, at least Cole isn’t denying it.

Hank sits on the bed beside him and waits. It’s not like he intentionally uses interrogation tactics on his son, but he’s noticed over the years that the easiest way to get the truth out of Cole is with patience.

“He’s the worst,” Cole says, finally. “Why did Cyberlife have to make him like that? He’s supposed to be a detective but they used the same looks as on fashion and entertainment androids.”

“You don’t like the way he looks?” Hank prompts. “So you’ve been avoiding him. That’s not very kind.”

Cole kicks him. Not hard, but hard enough to make it clear to Hank that Cole knows Hank is onto him and he’s being led to a statement. “You remember when I had Lindsay and Mark around to work on that history project and they stayed for dinner the same night Connor came over?”

Hank frowns. Vaguely. Connor usually comes around at least twice a week and Cole had a revolving door of friends that Hank doesn’t keep too close on an eye on now they’re old enough that him joining them is ‘super embarrassing Dad, go away!’ but he doesn’t need to know the specific kids to get the idea. “Yeah.”

“Well, after they kept talking about how cute he was and how lucky I was that he came around and I laughed at them but then he came around for movie night and I kept thinking about that they said,” there’s a pause. “And, I don’t know, I mean he’s Connor, I never really thought about what he looked like before, but after they’d said it I couldn’t stop noticing that he looks like that and, y’know, he’s always so nice and smiling, and he’s really cool and...”

“And that’s confused how you feel about him?” Hank asks.

“Yeah... no... I don’t know... I don't get what's wrong with me,” Cole groans. “I mean it's _Connor_.”

“I get it,” Hank says, and it’s true. It would have been easier if Cole had discovered attraction with some singer or movie star, somebody he wouldn’t have to actually deal with, or, failing that, a classmate (even though Hank really isn’t ready for his son to actually start dating), but apparently Andersons had a type when it came to first crushes. For Hank it had been his middle school math teacher, usually sweet natured but rigidly stern when crossed and, as puberty had kicked into full swing, he'd also become very aware of her collection of incredibly tight sweaters and spent a lot of time not knowing where to look in class. It had been the beginning of a type for him and, as a parent, if Cole continues to go for guys like Connor then Hank would be pretty satisfied.

Of course, right now it's incredibly awkward.

“Hormones are weird, kid,” Hank offers. “And you’re right, most of the older Cyberlife era androids were designed to be attractive.”

“Right!” Cole tosses the pillow aside, sitting up. “So I’ve been avoiding him and hoping it’ll go away, but it hasn’t and I don’t know how to make my brain be normal again!”

Hank almost laughs. This probably isn’t the best time to tell Cole that once he’s started having those sorts of feelings there’s no going back, although at least things might get a little easier once he’s out of the immediate hormone flood of puberty. Some days Hank thinks androids have it lucky. “You know, there are probably plenty of people your own age you could focus on inst--”

“I know, I know! It’s just weird because he looks like a young grown-up but technically he’s younger than me, and I know in my brain android maturity is different and he’s actually super old like you, but then he’s around and I get all--” Cole waves his hands in vague frustration and Hank leans over to pat his shoulder soothingly.

“That's rough buddy.”

“This is not the time for old people memes, dad!” Cole huffs, but his lips are twitching upward.

Hank uses the hand on Cole’s shoulder to pull him closer, ruffling his hair until Cole caves and laughs. “Urgh, he hangs out with you though,” Cole mutters. “So you’ve probably infected him with all your old people jokes. Maybe I’ll just think about that every time I have the weird feelings,” and then Hank is laughing too.

They’ll be just fine.


End file.
